LOYAL ORANGE LODGE#319

WHY ORANGE? A LITTLE HISTORY

BBC photo

The Principality of Orange (in French la Principauté d'Orange) was, from 1163 to 1713, a feudal state in Provence, in the south of modern-day France, on the left bank of the River Rhone north of the city of Avignon.The area of the principality was approximately 12 miles long by 9 miles wide, or 108 sq. miles

King William III (1650 – 1702) inherited the principality of Orange and became the sovereign Prince of Orange when he was born. In 1688, he became the King of England, Ireland and Scotland when he took the throne from his wife'sCatholic brother, James II. His wife was given joint reign by English Parliament; an event which became known as the 'Glorious Revolution, ensuring the primacy of the Protestant faith in Britain. His decisive victory over James at the Battle of the Boyne is celebrated annually in Northern Ireland on 12 July.William III was a devout Protestant man. In 1702 he fell from a horsewhich resulted in a broken collarbone. He died from pneumonia on March 8, 1702 at the age of 51. He was buried alongside his wife in Westminster Abbey, London, England

Some time ago, the Orangemen of Marmora built a very creditable hall that they are endeavoring to pay for by means of a great celebration.

The Grand Orange Lodge of British America is a Protestant fraternal organization that began in County Armagh, Ireland in 1795. It has played a large part in the history of Canada, with many prominent members including four Prime Ministers, amongst them Sir John A. Macdonald and John Diefenbaker as well as Tommy Douglas, founder of the New Democratic Party.

The Orange Lodges have existed in Canada at least since the War of 1812. The Order was the chief social institution in Upper Canada, organizing many community and benevolent activities, and helping Protestant immigrants to settle. It remained a predominant political force in southern Ontario well into the twentieth century. There were scores of socially prominent citizens who were granted honorary membership but did not actually participate in official lodge business. Surprisingly given its great prestige, although there were many members drawn from the upper and middle classes, lodge membership was predominantly drawn from the ranks of labourers, street railway workers, teamsters, and other elements of the working class. Besides sentimental patriotic or imperialist motivations, many Orangemen joined because the benefits of mutual aid, security, and health supports made it easier to survive the difficulties of working class life. Middle class members, such as professionals, small-shop owners, and tavern-keepers, saw membership in terms of commercial gain through the steady attraction of lodge members as clientele. The Order’s secrecy, solemn oaths, and masonic-type rituals bonded men together as part of a greater whole, and dressing in the order’s distinctive sash and regalia for the Twelfth of July parade let members show off their status and achievements to the greater community. The Grand Orange Lodge of British America Benefit Fund was established in 1881 to provide fraternal benefits to members and remains as a modern insurance system. (Wikipedia)

The Marmora Loyal Orange Lodge, No. 319, received its warrant under date of September 22, 1851, when at the age of 21, Thomas C. Campion, son of the pioneer settler, Colonel Campion, became the first master. (Click here for more on the Campion family)

Loyal True Blue Lodge (#177)(L.T.B.) like the Royal Black Preceptory (R.B.P). are not under the jurisdiction of the Loyal Orange Association, but are considered a part of the overall “Orange Family”. Its basic principles closely relate to those of the Association, and its members have distinguished themselves with contributions in the field of benevolent and charitable programs. Lodges comprise both men and women, with a special branch for young people.

1914

1933

JULY 16, 1914

The 12th of July celebration held in Marmora on Monday July 13th was a huge success. Special trainsfrom Maynooth in the North, Picton in the south and Tweed in the east brought in about 5000 visitors in addition to the hundreds from the surrounding country. It was " the largest crowd ever seen In Marmora.' Among the Lodges taking part were:No. 276 Monteagle: No. 624 Bancroft;No. 1183 L'Amable; No. 289 Actinolite;No. 172Wellmans; No. 437 Queensboro; No. 1442 Springbrook;No 253 Allen's Settlemt; No. 285Nickle; No.517 Eldorado; No. 319 Marmora; No. 620 Wooler; No. 521 Cordova and No. 177 MarmoraFor almost a week the best cooks In Hastings Countyturned out pies,cakes, fried cakes, etc. and immense quantities of potatoes, meat and vegetables were prepared. Messrs. W.Long, John MCClintock, John Anderson and Philip Bosley were the cooks.Mr. Casha Boyd is Master of MarrnoraLodge and an idea of the size, of the cele- bration is given as follows:Crowd. present .,. 6000Orangemen in procession 800Gate receipts at Fair grounds $1500.00Booth receipt $ 700.00Ice cream sold 150 gals. Other supplies were used. in same proportion.

On May 13, 1947 the Marmora Loyal Orange Lodge No. 319, obtained a deed for burial property on the west side of the existing Marmora Protestant Cemetery grounds. On the property they raised the necessary funds in order to build Marmora's first vault. Frank Bobyk of Marmora designed and built the concrete structure in August, 1948. The Canadian Legion Branch 237 of Marmora, in conjunction with the L.O.L., then developed burial plots for veterans on land adjacent to the Orange Lodge members burial plots.

July 12th parade with Charles Dunlay in the lead,, on the now #7 highway, heading west. The Brick building is the O'Neill building which later become the TD Bank in Marmora. In the centre is tne blacksmith shop of Charles Sr. & Eli Clairmont. Far right the Clairmont house is visible. This house was later moved north, opposite the Town Hall (11 Bursthall St)

THE ORANGEMEN'S PARADE

Orangemen's Day(July 12) and parades commemorate the Battle of the Boyne, which took place in 1690 outside Drogheda, now in the Republic of Ireland. The Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is seen as an important part of Ireland's history and pivotal in the power balance Protestants and Catholics in Great Britain and Ireland.

Symbols

An important symbol of Orangemen's Day is the color orange, which represents the monarchs in the House of Orange in general and William of Orange in particular. This color is seen on collarettes, banners and many other items. During the parades, men usually wear white shirts and gloves under dark suits and orange collarettes. Collarettes are narrow bands of cloth draped around the neck and fastened in front to form a “V” shape on the wearer's chest. They are decorated with symbols that represent the lodge, to which the wearer belongs, and the positions he holds and the awards he has received.

The banners carried during the parades also represent Orangemen's Day and the events in history that inspired the celebrations. In Canada many Orangemen's Day parade banners have an orange or blue background and the name of the lodge they represent. Many include some of the following images: